Research Excellence Framework
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new UK-wide system for assessing the quality of the research carried out in the UK's publicly-funded universities.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and the Department of Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland (DELNI) will conduct the REF jointly. The four funding bodies have been developing the REF as the replacement for the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) since 2006.
Like the RAE, the results of the REF will be used to:
- inform the selective allocation of research funding to HEIs;
- provide benchmarking information and establish the reputation of institutions in research; and
- provide accountability for public investment in research and demonstrate its benefits.
The first REF will run in 2014. Universities from across the UK will submit information on the research carried out in their universities in 2013, and expert panels will carry out a peer-reviewed assessment of this research in 2014. The REF timetable provides details of what will happen between now and the completion of the process.
Panels of experts in individual academic subject areas will carry out the assessment of the REF. They will assess research under three broad headings:
- Outputs: the main focus of the REF will be to identify excellent research of all kinds. This will be assessed through expert peer review. In subjects where robust data is available, peer review may be informed by additional citation information;
- Impact: recognition will be given where researchers build on excellent research to deliver demonstrable benefits to society, public policy, culture, quality of life and the economy; and
- Environment: the REF will take account of the quality of the research environment in supporting a continuing flow of excellent research and its effective dissemination and application.
The three elements of the assessment will be scored and these scores will be combined to give an overall 'excellence profile' of the research.
For REF queries, including queries on the published Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submissions, please contact the national REF team on info@ref.ac.uk. For queries on SFC's policies on research assessment, contact Pauline Jones, tel: 0131 313 6631, email: pjones@sfc.ac.uk
Useful references
- Further Information on REF - http://www.ref.ac.uk
- Guide to research impact in the REF - http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/impact/
- Guide to expert assessment panels - http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/panels/
- Information on use of bibliometrics in REF - http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/Biblio/
- History of the development of the REF Framework
- Information on the RAE - http://www.rae.ac.uk
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Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submissions -http://www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref/pubs/2011/02_11/